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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsHang up your goddamn cellphone and drive.
I was shocked to read in today's paper that an old friend - a guy I've known for close to 40 years - has just been arrested for criminal vehicular operation because he struck and killed a jogger - while evidently talking on his phone while driving. They haven't determined yet whether there was also alcohol involved (it was early in the evening), but either way, even if he was sober and just distracted, he could end up in prison. He's about the straightest arrow you'd ever want to meet, not some bubbleheaded teenager who can't stand to stop texting/yakking on the phone. But there it is. A man is dead - from all reports another straight arrow, pillar of the community type - and my friend will probably lose his job and go to prison, and will have to live with this for the rest of his life.
PUT DOWN THE DAMN PHONE. WHATEVER IT IS CAN WAIT.
I wish someone would invent a car that's kind of a Faraday cage where a phone won't work whenever the car is in motion.
PUT DOWN THE DAMN PHONE.
NCTraveler
(30,481 posts)Equinox Moon
(6,344 posts)I refuse to talk with anyone that calls me while they are driving. PERIOD.
Stuart G
(38,448 posts)They are so dangerous...incredibly dangerous...
GentryDixon
(2,962 posts)him to pass it on to the grandchildren.
One instant can change your life forever. I am sorry for your friend, the victim, and you as well, as I am sure this is very distressing for you.
Thanks for sharing.
DURHAM D
(32,611 posts)of the idiots texting and talking on their phones while driving.
I wish the insurance companies could figure out a way to determine those people who drive and DON'T use their phones so we could get a smart driver discount.
brush
(53,876 posts)Unbelievable to me that morons actually take their eyes off the road to text while driving.
Can't get much dumber than that.
MineralMan
(146,333 posts)When I'm driving, my phone is powered off and in my pocket. I simply don't use it in the car. When I get where I'm going, i turn it on and check for voice mail and texts. It's so easy to do and I won't be distracted.
I'm very sorry your friend is in that situation. I don't know either him or the person who died. It's a tragedy, and an avoidable one. More's the pity.
The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,869 posts)I'm still just dumbfounded. Of all the people I know, he's one of the least likely whose photo I'd expect to see in the paper in an orange jumpsuit. A few seconds of distraction, even if you're stone cold sober, can be enough to cause a disaster. People just don't get that. I won't answer my phone in the car, either, and I give a wide berth to other drivers who seem to be using theirs.
tblue37
(65,490 posts)catbyte
(34,458 posts)The phone sends a text message to whomever is calling telling them." thank you, but I'm driving and will get back to them when I arrive at my destination." It's a default app & I have to disable it if I am a passenger. It's a Samsung Galaxy S5.
csziggy
(34,138 posts)I've got an Android phone and maybe I can put it on my phone - not that anyone calls me on my cell anyway.
catbyte
(34,458 posts)csziggy
(34,138 posts)ret5hd
(20,523 posts)I swear to god half of our traffic congestion problems would be resolved if cellphones disappeared tomorrow!
deminks
(11,017 posts)We have had two women struck and killed crossing the street and not looking because they were talking on their cell phones or texting.
Put it away until you can sit down safely and can pay attention to it.
choie
(4,111 posts)I can't tell you how many times, here in NYC, I see assholes riding their bike and talking on the phone - in Manhattan, for god's sake!
drmeow
(5,025 posts)and texting! As a driver I gave him a very wide berth so I wouldn't hit him if he swerved into my lane!
Skittles
(153,193 posts)I try to imagine what it would be like to kill someone because you're so selfish you think a phone call is more important than driving, or you don't have enough sense not to drive after you've been drinking.
I know I could not live with myself, hence my zero tolerance for alcohol or phone usage in the car - no exceptions.
Velveteen Ocelot, I hope you will reach out to your old friend who is living my worst nightmare.
KittyWampus
(55,894 posts)The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,869 posts)but I'm not sure what, or how, at this point.
Skittles
(153,193 posts)I would just try to let them know I am still their friend
imagine the turmoil he is in
Warpy
(111,358 posts)They're pretty strict on packages sent in to the point that the commissary is the only way to get things like toiletries and new socks, plus junk food to supplement a prison diet, which can be bland and monotonous. It's a good way, along with letters now and then, to let him know he hasn't been forgotten.
The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,869 posts)He hasn't been formally charged yet. I don't know what will happen.
Warpy
(111,358 posts)especially if there are anti cell phone while driving laws in your area.
If he had no alcohol on board, he will get a lot less time. You're right about his life being over for the time being.
The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,869 posts)Last edited Fri Feb 24, 2017, 11:14 PM - Edit history (1)
unless the driver is under 18 - then they can't use cell phones at all. Republicans in the state legislature recently shot down stricter cell phone use while driving legislation because, as one GOPer said, the public wouldn't like that "because they like their freedom."
If he was only using a phone he could still be prosecuted for careless driving, but if drinking was involved he will certainly do time. It's all very sad.
csziggy
(34,138 posts)If I get a call while I am driving, I find a place to pull over and park, then check who called. I can call them back when I am safe, I don't need to scramble for my phone while I am on the road.
bullwinkle428
(20,631 posts)other cars trying to find spaces, etc. Incredible level of self-absorption. Makes me ready to "go Hulk"!
csziggy
(34,138 posts)A couple of times I needed to make calls as I was leaving a store and there were people waiting for the parking space I was in. I pulled out, drove to the far end of the parking lot, parked and made my calls. Simple and only took a couple of minutes out of my life.
No phone call is important enough to endanger lives, mine or others.
CousinIT
(9,259 posts)I pull over or go park somewhere.
I did get rear-ended last year by some idiot staring at their phone coming up to the stop light. She just didn't stop - was staring at the goddamned phone. Hit me and rammed me into someone in front of me at the traffic light. Not high-speed but she damaged THREE CARS. Oh. And she was UNINSURED.
csziggy
(34,138 posts)I just don't get it - NOTHING is so important you have to stare at a cell phone while driving!
In fact I got in a fight with a niece because she was upset I wasn't instantly responding to her texts. No matter that I was driving when they arrived, she insisted her texts were THE most important thing. I was driving down to see my sick Dad the week before he died. She was texting me about which motel she was staying at. I finally told her to never text me again. By the time my Dad died I decided to never speak to her or her mother (my younger sister) ever again because of the things they did to Mom while Dad was dying. Those two taught me what a malignant narcissist was and life is MUCH better without them in it.
KittyWampus
(55,894 posts)pablo_marmol
(2,375 posts).......but there's an amazing lack of awareness at how their behavior endangers themselves -- on the road and elsewhere.
I frequently do my grocery shopping later in the evening, and find it amazing how many people I see exiting the store either talking or fiddling with their phones --- completely oblivious to a potential predator approaching them. Unreal. Situational awareness has plummeted worldwide since the arrival of hand-held computers........a muggers DREAM.
The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,869 posts)and most of the time nothing bad happens - so they get complacent and keep doing it. I don't think it's so much a lack of concern or selfishness as just a habit that seems harmless and usually doesn't cause a problem - until it does.
This accident really shook me up because I know this person who just killed a guy and will certainly pay dearly for it - for doing a stupid, careless thing that millions of people do every day even though they shouldn't. He's a smart, sensible, normal person like so many of the other people who routinely use their phones while driving. I posted as a warning to anyone who thinks it's harmless, because it's not.
pablo_marmol
(2,375 posts)Well VO --- i hear where you're coming from, but I think you let these folks off the hook to easily. IMO, the danger is obvious unless a person is either quite dim, selfish, or both. There's no excuse for complacency on the road.......in my opinion.
JDC
(10,135 posts)I hit my neighbor's mailbox, broke the post, broke my side mirror and had to face the music with him. Although he was kind about it, it could have been a person walking (as there are no sidewalks, etc). I was less than a quarter mile from home(we were rural then). It could have waited no doubt. It woke me up.
No Vested Interest
(5,167 posts)trunk is not sufficiently closed, but nothing happens when something much more dangerous occurs in the car - use of cellphone by driver when car is in motion.
Can someone invent a device to eliminate this problem - something that would send an alarm that maybe everyone in the car & outside could hear?
Something like the loud beep of a truck backing up?
BeekeeperInVermont
(76 posts)some time ago about developing a way to stop cell phones from working by using their built-in GPS to determine whether or not the phone was in a moving vehicle. I imagine this would have to be fine-tuned so that passengers can use their phones, not the driver, but somebody somewhere is thinking about this problem. Let's hope someone smart comes up with a workable solution.
kag
(4,079 posts)about a program on her phone that disables it while driving.
RedWedge
(618 posts)nightmare. TBH I assumed alcohol when I read about it myself, but yes, phones are distracting.
The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,869 posts)which of course would make the whole thing far worse. An amount of alcohol that might not ordinarily cause impairment, when combined with cell phone use, is a recipe for disaster. I've read that the distraction of using a phone while driving is by itself the equivalent of a couple of drinks, so how impaired are you if you're talking on your phone while driving after having had a drink or two?
Blue_true
(31,261 posts)He was driving toward a dangerous intersection and didn't seem to give a crap. Unfortunately, even people who we don't expect to see using cellphones while driving.
JustABozoOnThisBus
(23,369 posts)And if a cop gets pulled over, they have "courtesy" culture, so they get off with no ticket.
LuckyLib
(6,820 posts)So sad and SO unnecessary. A ton of negative ways that social media is affecting our lives. This one is lethal.
bullwinkle428
(20,631 posts)phone, texting, while zooming through a parking lot with pedestrians just trying to get to and from their cars! I've run after them to give them the double-bird, but of course, they're too engrossed.
Soxfan58
(3,479 posts)I am sorry about your friend and the poor man he hit. But your message can not be said loud enough.
yuiyoshida
(41,864 posts)n/t
mrmpa
(4,033 posts)she was looking down and never looked up until she hit me. I asked the cops to check her phone, but she was unable to find it. It probably flew under the seat somewhere.
No pedestrian should have to worry about being hit by a distracted driver. However I wish joggers and pedestrians would wear reflective tape of some sort at night. I used to driver Uber & Lyft and would drive well after midnight. I found pedestrians dressed in dark clothing crossing the street (not at intersections) while looking at their phones.
qanda
(10,422 posts)Nothing you have to say, read, text or tweet is worth someone's life.
FakeNoose
(32,777 posts)Someone who talks or texts while driving is ALWAYS at fault. You should never allow yourself to be distracted while driving. For most driving situations both of the driver's hands should be on the wheel at all times.
BUT I have seen joggers on the road who were asking to get hit. I mean running in the dark or at dusk, in the road and not even close to the curb. In the road, while commuters are coming home in heavy traffic. Just stupid behavior. If your town built sidewalks, then use the sidewalks, idiots! If it's dark, stay home. Or go someplace where there's no traffic, like quiet residential streets.
qanda
(10,422 posts)Pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists, etc. have their own set of responsibilities to remain safe on the road. That doesn't take away from the fact that people need to stay off their phones while driving. Period!
FailureToCommunicate
(14,023 posts)(Sorry about your friend, and of course the unfortunate jogger)
samnsara
(17,640 posts)...can you imagine what hes feeling? I am such a back seat nag when the driver of any car I'm in uses their phone.
blue sky at night
(3,242 posts)Cell Control...we can't text or look at email but we can talk on the phone hands free. The training we have to take every year about distracted driving says there in N O D I F F E R E N C E between hand held or hands free; it is all about distracting centers of your brain needed while driving. I am super cautious when I am out walking...especially with my two dogs! Too bad this shit happens every day.
Mariana
(14,861 posts)I'm old enough to remember when everyone and his brother had a CB radio in their car. I don't remember that there was any great increase in collisions on account of those. I wonder how it is different, talking over the radio vs. talking over the cellphone?
blue sky at night
(3,242 posts)does the same thing. My company has about 700 plus drivers and we were having around 200 accidents a year...mostly from distracted driving. Our Service Call Application is in our phones so we are on them all the time...btw, that application is okay to use while driving!!!
Grammy23
(5,815 posts)He is self employed and gets the majority of his work by phone contact. He knows better or should but if anyone says anything about that he whines loudly that his work depends on his phone. Everyone these days knows about voice mail and not getting someone on the first call is almost to be expected.
If someone were to hit him while driving while distracted, he'd be the first one to want to sue but can't see a reason why he should stay off the phone while driving. Duh! You can't fix stupid.
Raster
(20,998 posts)...a man-buned, bearded hipster-looking dude was driving along at 70 miles an hour with one hand on the wheel and the other obviously texting, he was not looking at the road... I kept pace with him for over a minute and never saw him look up once.
The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,869 posts)tblue37
(65,490 posts)cause me to do a doubletake.
The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,869 posts)tblue37
(65,490 posts)yardwork
(61,712 posts)tblue37
(65,490 posts)smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)I can't stand riding with theme, fortunately I don't live close to them so I rarely have to. When I complain, the standard answer is "I'm not going to get into an accident!" Grrr! How many people that get in accidents do you think actually PLAN to get into accidents. It makes me furious!
guillaumeb
(42,641 posts)Automakers need to invent a snack tray with a phone holder that I could put on the dashboard next to my Trump troll figurine.
eppur_se_muova
(36,299 posts)Be sure to scan through the reviews !
guillaumeb
(42,641 posts)My favorite was the question about wiping blood. But the microwave question was also funny.
Beartracks
(12,821 posts)"I'm using it right now to post this review and I never
============
The Wizard
(12,549 posts)Can't say how many times a texting driver had me enraged. Either they run you off the road, veer into you , run into you, or not moving when the light turns green because these nitwits think their next brain fart that gets sent into cyberspace will get them rich or laid. The laws against it are loosely and selectively enforced.
bucolic_frolic
(43,311 posts)to do much about cars and cell phones.
I do worry about this because I drive a small, older car. I'm toast in
an SUV accident. Or should I say pudding.
nini
(16,672 posts)I simply hate smartphones for this reason.
Why people can't wait is beyond me
Fla Dem
(23,765 posts)On 2 separate occasions I observed a car in front of me in the outside lane(2 lane road) speeding up then slowing down, and weaving into my lane. In both cases when I finally was able to pass them, I saw they both had phones up to their ears. This is very dangerous. Please put your phones away, even for talking when you are driving.
Yavin4
(35,446 posts)You cannot break human beings from using their phones while driving. So, technology needs to take driving away from humans.
GaYellowDawg
(4,449 posts)I'd love to be able to get into a self-driving car and be able to watch a movie, or sleep, or do whatever for Interstate driving, and then be able to reassume control while in town. I'd also really love to see self-driving cars able to network and reduce congestion in larger cities. Most likely not during my lifetime.
Yavin4
(35,446 posts)Then again, with Trump who knows.
raccoon
(31,126 posts)is hire a chauffeur.
but maybe self-driving cars will come along and save us!
GaYellowDawg
(4,449 posts)I've had a lot of conversations while Interstate driving. Hands free, and if traffic gets even a little heavy, I tell the person I'm talking to that traffic's getting heavy and I have to hang up. I haven't even had any close calls, but your post makes me think I should reconsider this.
Glimmer of Hope
(5,823 posts)This is so sad.
williesgirl
(4,033 posts)While going about 50 mph. I couldn't believe it. He actually passed me. I slowed down and stayed the hell away from him.
mythology
(9,527 posts)My biological dad used to read the newspaper while driving.
But making a Faraday cage for a car would be going too far. What about people in the passenger seats or GPS functionality?
raccoon
(31,126 posts)the jogger.
Thanks for posting this.
The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,869 posts)moondust
(20,006 posts)I think it was a Japanese company developing some kind of jamming technology or something to block signals while the vehicle is in motion.
But that was years ago and I haven't heard anything about it for years.
Gadget zombies are my pet peeve.
meadowlander
(4,406 posts)Maybe something that starts beeping if the car is moving and you don't have two hands on for more than 30 seconds and then calls the police if it's been more than three minutes.
And handsfree phone technology in cars should just be straight banned.
moondust
(20,006 posts)if it would be possible to just jam signals in a limited area where the driver sits while the vehicle is in motion. Maybe use some jamming technology installed in the roof over the driver's seat. That way kids in the back seat or a passenger riding along could still use their devices--just not the driver if the vehicle is moving. And yes, hands-free is a bad idea.
PoindexterOglethorpe
(25,902 posts)Lots of times I have only one hand on the wheel because I'm shifting. That's really not a sensible metric.
meadowlander
(4,406 posts)It doesn't take more than 30 seconds to shift gears.
PoindexterOglethorpe
(25,902 posts)on the stick, especially if the traffic conditions are such that I'm going to be shifting more or less constantly.
And it is okay to sometimes drive one handed for a while. Doesn't mean you're on a cell phone. Keep in mind that some people text my more or less propping the phone at the top of the steering while, and their wrists are doing the steering while the fingers are typing. So again, whether or not both hands are on the wheel gives zero information about whether a person is talking or texting on a phone.
Apps that automatically shut off the phone while the engine is on and the car is moving make more sense.
MontanaMama
(23,337 posts)in my town. I see them driving with their phones glued to their ears every damned day. And, we have a cell phone law here!!
I keep my phone on silent, in the back seat inside my bag when I drive. I don't even want to be tempted. I'm a lousy multitasker under the best of circumstances...let alone talking/texting and driving. Good grief.
I'm sorry for the misfortune of your friend and sorry an innocent person died as a result. It is tragic all around.
llmart
(15,555 posts)people who have an exaggerated sense of self-importance in my opinion. I may be old-fashioned when it comes to this but so many times I've wanted to say to people "What the hell is so damned important in your life that you have to stare every 3 minutes at your phone? There are very few instances when your average person's cell phone call is urgent enough that you can't just let it go until you can pull over or just wait.
Like another poster on this thread said, I too believe that an awful lot of our traffic congestion/tie ups are due to cell phone usage.
wcast
(595 posts)geretogo
(1,281 posts)you have an addiction then ween yourself slowly off it and save your life and others .
okieinpain
(9,397 posts)w0nderer
(1,937 posts)and whilst many might feel that correct for one reason or another
and in some moods i may agree with them
one reason being i'm often on a bicycle (i have a Florida license. I prefer to ride a bicycle often. i'm read up on the rules of traffic for bicycles and follow them (pre-empting the bicycle hater crowd))
i've been known to tap windows after people almost hit me (or in some cases hit me lightly or brush me (ever been brushed by a car moving at 50mph? it's a sweet sweet kiss of pain, like a lovers touch by hellspawn))
and (this is in Florida where the castle law applies to cars, actually i think the law says vehicles. perhaps I should start packing on my bicycle ;-p )
conversation often along these lines
me:are you a doctor?
them:no?
me:not in the middle of saving the earth or a life in phone directed surgery?
them: no dumbass!
me: so no one is dying on the other end of the phone?
them: NO IDIOT!
me: someone almost did here, and if you don't hang up, the opportunity still exists
same same for people who can't get an ok car stereo
definition of ok car stereo == lets you listen to music and still hear traffic
not definition == put earphones from phone in and crank volume, headbang to music!
i like headbanging but seriously, not in traffic!
The Sand Reckoner
(194 posts)assuming that we're all that stupid?
Beartracks
(12,821 posts)===========================
The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,869 posts)can be ruined by a few seconds of inattention from using a cell phone while driving. My friend is not a stupid person but he did a stupid thing - the same stupid thing a lot of people do every day.
uppityperson
(115,681 posts)YOHABLO
(7,358 posts)I see it all the time. These young girls driving with their smart phones sitting in their laps with head down, not watching the road, swaying in and out of lanes. I'm so sick of it. They really need to crack down severely on these people. What if it were one of your loved ones that was killed by someone texting and driving. Thank you telecom industry. Thank you so very fucking much.
malaise
(269,186 posts)Rec
brewens
(13,622 posts)she was driving. That is not something you want a couple of us to know about if you want to move up.
Tree-Hugger
(3,370 posts)....on the PA Turnpike. I am on there several times a week. Not a trip goes by where I don't see someone doing either 80+ or 40mph (speed limit is 70) with both hands on top of the steering wheel texting away.
Another peeve is videos. I watch a lot of really mundane housewife YouTube channels and it is *very* popular for Vloggers to film themselves while driving.....often with their kids in the car. That shit needs to be illegal.
Randomthought
(837 posts)I know this man too. It's very upsetting.
PoindexterOglethorpe
(25,902 posts)No, he's a bubbleheaded adult who just had to be on the phone rather than paying attention to his driving.
And no, listening to the car radio or talking with someone in the car is NOT just as bad.
This thread is making me think that if someone calls me and tells me they're driving while calling me, I should just tell them to call me when they're not driving and immediately hang up. I think I will start doing that.
C Moon
(12,221 posts)But there are some things you just can't protect yourself from. Very sad.
Blue_true
(31,261 posts)I wore reflective clothing top and bottom and reflective shoes, and I carried a flashlight that I kept on and pointed forward toward oncoming traffic. I did not wear headphones or anything that limited my hearing. I kept my head up and ran facing traffic. Whenever I noticed a vehicle where the driver appeared to be distracted, I looked for a spot to jump while rapidly moving the flashlight around to create a moving lightbeam at their vehicle. A lot of inexperienced runners run with traffic and wear clothing that cause them not to be seen easily. If someone plans to start running outside, I suggest that they go to a running store and talk to salespeople that run, or go to online runner forums and ask safety questions and ask for suggestions (always ask for all suggestions).
C Moon
(12,221 posts)I had one guy in a pickup truck fake like he was going to hit me. I jumped out of the way and he laughed; another guy in a construction truck faked he was going to hit me, then slammed on his brakes and laughed.
There's people who stand and smirk when their little dogs go running after me.
And other aggressive drivers, who just seem pissed off at runners.
It is scary sometimes, probably just like the bike ridersbut I think they have it worse when they have to hold up traffic.
But the cell phone thing is definitely in the front of my mind.
Put the thing away when you're driving.
leftyladyfrommo
(18,874 posts)My cellphone message tells customers that I am on the road and to leave a message. I will call them back as soon as I can do so safely.
My volume is turned off so I can't hear the phone ring.
yardwork
(61,712 posts)Oneironaut
(5,525 posts)Stopping to talk on the cellphone would take up precious time. We're a society that subconsciously despises leisure. Our obsession with making ourselves useful and timely is literally killing people.
CousinIT
(9,259 posts)The other day. Idiot had me and TONS of other traffic backed up for MILES.
IMO it (texting while driving) ought to be treated like drunk driving. It has the same effect.
HoneyBadger
(2,297 posts)nadine_mn
(3,702 posts)I often used hands free devices so I could talk to my friend or spouse while driving - for me it was an anxiety issue and I still need to listen to music or podcasts. If I am not a little distracted I overthink what I am doing and freak out...I need to be on autopilot a little.
That said, texting while driving never occurs to me. It's ridiculous, and I tell my husband all the time not to do it even at red lights. There is nothing that important. Of course I feel that way about speeding or impaired driving. I cannot imagine ever having to explain to someone that I severely injured or killed their loved one because I had to answer a text or was running late to work.
I am so sorry for the families of both men - what a terrible tragedy.
The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,869 posts)According to today's paper he underwent surgery yesterday for brain lesions. So far there's no evidence he was using drugs or drinking but the tumors could have been a factor in the accident. He didn't know he had them until other symptoms turned up after the accident. Maybe he was using a cellphone, but this is a whole different wrinkle. On top of it all his wife died of cancer not too long ago, so the whole situation is terribly sad.
lagomorph777
(30,613 posts)Well, looks like your friend may end up in some kind of cage...sorry about that.